Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping
Abbreviation: STCW
International convention setting minimum training, certification, and watchkeeping standards for merchant ship officers and crew.
Quick facts
Regulation
STCW Regulation VIII/1
In practice
For a serving seafarer, STCW defines what certificates must be held before assuming a watchkeeping position. An officer of the watch (deck) must hold a valid Officer of the Watch certificate, an STCW medical fitness certificate, and the applicable endorsements for the vessel type — tanker endorsements, GMDSS, and so on. Rest hour requirements under STCW Regulation VIII/1 directly affect how watches may be arranged.
Regulatory detail & full definition
The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, adopted in 1978 and substantially revised by the Manila Amendments of 2010, sets the minimum global standards for officer and rating competency at sea. It specifies the training, experience, and examination requirements for each grade of certificate, from ordinary seaman to master and chief engineer. Compliance is verified by flag states and recognised organisations, with other flag states accepting certificates through the white-list process administered by IMO.
For a serving seafarer, STCW defines what certificates must be held before assuming a watchkeeping position. An officer of the watch (deck) must hold a valid Officer of the Watch certificate, an STCW medical fitness certificate, and the applicable endorsements for the vessel type — tanker endorsements, GMDSS, and so on. Rest hour requirements under STCW Regulation VIII/1 directly affect how watches may be arranged.
Port state control inspectors check the validity of STCW certificates, the authenticity of flag state endorsements, and whether the rest and work hour records are consistent with a lawfully maintained watch schedule. Presentation of a fraudulent certificate is a criminal matter. IMO maintains the Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS), which flag states use to confirm certification.